In 2 Corinthians 11 & 12 we see a long list of what Paul had to endure for the gospel. There was a phenomenal amount of hurt, pain, struggle and opposition. Alongside this, his authority and ability was being questioned and undermined. However, Paul soon begins to boast in his suffering and hardship as he say that is where God’s grace and power is most evidenced. We may not feel qualified to lead but God’s grace is always sufficient. Whilst our society can easily teach that it is about our human purpose, strengths and gifting, it is actually in a place of increasing dependence on Christ that God uses us. It is so often in our places of hurt, vulnerability and brokenness that God powerfully ministers in and through us. Our greatest ministry is so often rooted in God working through our various experiences, challenges and learning.

King Jehoshaphat was a man who feared God and trusted in Him unreservedly as he lead the Israelite people. He sought God’s voice in times of difficulty, and prioritised the right and good worship of God in the temple. In 2 Chronicles 20 the Israelite people are outnumbered by a large army advancing against them, but Jehoshaphat trusts that God will be with them and will fight for them. As they readied themselves for battle, Jehoshaphat chose to position the worship leaders at the front of the army, rather than his strongest fighters. As God’s people begin to worship and declare his praises, God himself sets ambushes against the army and the army is defeated. Worship is the weapon that defeats the enemy, as worship is the place where we recognise that the battle belongs to God and not to us. Often we see throughout the OT that what is represented physically is reflected spiritually in the NT (Eph 6:12 - our battle is with principalities and powers). As we worship, we go into battle against the enemy and declare the truth of who God is over a world in darkness. Even in our own story we have witnessed freedom and healing amongst our church family in a place of worship. What might it look like to carry that expectation when we come together? To expect that worship is a space which might bring about breakthrough and freedom in our families, our workplaces, in our lives and in this city?

Worship is at the heart of what it means to be a gathered people, worship is a space of encounter, and worship is a space of unreserved adoration. We see that nowhere more powerfully than in the worship of King David. David is so overjoyed at the presence of God returning to his people that he sings and dances (even to the point that it embarrasses his family!). But he proclaims he will become even more undignified still, so that God might be given the honour He deserves. When we come together in worship, we are called to come with a desire to see Jesus' name increased and our name decreased. And yet often we can content ourselves with singing while half-asleep. Have we become complacent after these last years? What might it look like to worship God when we come together with a passionate vision to see Jesus name raised up in the life of our church and in this city. Not motivated by a sense of obligation, but like David, as we find ways to remind ourselves that the living God is present with us.

One of our core values as a church is encounter. We believe in a God who is relational, who desires to meet with us and who comes close to us, and that when we meet him it changes us. We see time and time again through scripture that God interacts this way with His people. God reveals himself, and it calls out a response from us. In 2 Corinthians 3, we read about the freedom and identity we have because of the work of Jesus. This new life in Jesus means that we can come before God with expectation that we will meet with Him and be changed in his presence. Every, single, time.

Corporate worship has been part of the identity of the gathered people of God since the Exodus from Egypt. There is something distinctive and of eternal significance about the people of God singing the praises of God in the presence of God (Redman). Ephesians 5 offers us just one example of where we are given clear instruction around the importance of corporate worship and the role it plays in the life of the church. Worship is the call on the people of God whenever we gather together. It draws us together, it connects us at heart level to the presence of God and it shifts our perspective as we reflect on and thank God for the work He has done.

The Spirit doesn’t just equip, the Spirit unites us! Unity is tough, it’s hard to do, it’s messy and sometimes we get it wrong but it’s an important call to the Church at large and it’s a beautiful thing to participate in. How can we be unified both within our own church and also with other churches surrounding us? How can we celebrate and honour fellow believers? How does the Spirit help us to do that?

Through the Spirit, we are equipped! The Holy Spirit pours himself into the church in abundant ways, ‘for the common good’ and we get to work together as Spirit-filled believers. How has Holy Spirit equipped you, do you know or do you believe he has? How has Holy Spirit equipped Central? How can we continue to be open to the equipping and gifting of the Spirit among us?

Why is the Ascension of Jesus important? The disciples didn’t understand it, they are still in fact asking Jesus about when he will restore Israel even at this point! And although it’s a familiar part of our own canon, perhaps we don’t understand the significance of it either. But Jesus himself tells us, he had to go, he had to go because if he didn’t the Spirit couldn’t come and his desire for us is to be filled with the Spirit! What does this final earthly encounter with Jesus tell us and how can we live as those filled with the Spirit, expectant that Jesus who left, will return joyously once more?

We know that the story of Jesus is one of redemption and we see that perhaps most clearly in this encounter with Peter. Peter had stuffed up, denied Jesus, walked away and to top it all off he didn’t think there was any way he could make amends, so he went back to the thing he knew best, his old life as a fisherman. But that morning on the shore was one like no other, not only did he and the other disciples experience a miracle catch of fish but more importantly Jesus took time with Peter to speak with him and reverse those three points of denial. Jesus comes to us in our broken and messed up places and he holds out redemption to us, he has already proved that he will go great lengths for us, why so often do we live as if that isn’t true now? Where in our lives do we need to experience the redemption of Jesus?

What do we do with our doubt? How do we navigate the fearful waters of faith, belief and understanding changing? Is there room in our faith for our doubt? Thomas is often landed with the title ‘Doubting Thomas’ and is sometimes given a bad rap for that, yet his experience is one we will probably all have. What we see in this passage is how Jesus interacts with Thomas in the midst of his doubt; he doesn’t dismiss him or condemn him, he comes to him. How can we allow Jesus to come to us in our places of doubt?